By Jennifer Whitmire MS, MEd, MH, CHES, NEP
For years, we’ve all heard the same advice, “If you want to lose weight or get healthier, just eat less and exercise more.” It sounds so simple, but what if I told you this might actually be making things worse?
You’re not alone if you’ve cut calories and exercised hard and still ended up feeling exhausted, stressed, or even gained weight, especially in the belly. It turns out, when you push your body too hard, particularly under stress, your adrenal glands can take a big hit—and that’s when hormones start to get out of whack and things start to spiral.
Why is this advice not the best idea? How does it affect your adrenals, other hormones, and overall health? How does stress lead to more “sickness?”
What’s Wrong With “Eat Less, Exercise More”
The idea that you need to simply cut calories and exercise more to lose weight seems logical on the surface. Burn more than you eat, and the pounds will melt away, right? Unfortunately, our body doesn’t work like a simple math equation. It’s much more complex, especially when we factor in hormones, stress, and metabolism.
When you chronically under-eat and push yourself to work out more, your body enters “survival mode.” It sees these actions as stress, “I’m in danger!”, which triggers a cascade of hormonal reactions beginning with the adrenal glands. The result? Cortisol, the “stress hormone,” is released. While cortisol is necessary in the short term, ongoing stress can cause serious disruptions.
How Under-Eating Triggers Adrenal Stress
When you restrict calories for too long, your body starts to panic. It’s as if it thinks you’re going to starve. You’re not getting the nutrients needed to support your organs and your energy needs. Your adrenal glands jump into action by flooding your system with cortisol. This hormone’s job is to help keep you safe and help you cope with stress, but when it has to make it constantly, it does more harm than good.
First, it throws off your other hormones. Cortisol interferes with your thyroid hormones and slows your metabolism. It diverts reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone to cortisol, because it is more important to be safe than pregnant. This leads to symptoms like irregular periods, mood swings, and even worsened PMS or menopause symptoms.
Chronic stress causes what’s known as “pregnenolone steal,” where your body prioritizes producing cortisol over everything else. Pregnenolone is a precursor hormone that your body needs to make other essential hormones like progesterone and testosterone. When your body is stressed, it “steals” pregnenolone to make more cortisol. This leads to imbalances that leave you feeling fatigued, anxious, and craving salt, sugar, and carbs.
Over-Exercising and the Adrenal Burnout Cycle
Exercise is fantastic for your health—but only to a point. When you’re already stressed or not eating enough, intense exercise can actually add fuel to the fire. Working out increases cortisol temporarily (which is normal), but too much exercise without time to recovery can cause chronically high cortisol levels.
And, guess what? This leads to the same issues that under-eating triggers—only faster.
This creates a vicious cycle. You work out harder to burn more calories, but your body is already stressed and tired, so it clings to fat—especially belly fat. Over time, you’ll notice you’re always tired, you have sleep issues, or that stubborn belly fat refuses to budge no matter what you do. That’s a sign that your adrenals are crying for help.
How Stress Affects Your Hormones, Blood Sugar, and Liver
Stress doesn’t just make you feel overwhelmed. It causes a whole series of biochemical reactions that affect your hormones, blood sugar, and even your liver.
1. High Cortisol Levels: Chronic stress causes cortisol to stay elevated. Over time, this suppresses your immune system, increases your blood sugar, and makes it easier to gain weight, especially in the belly.
2. Hormonal Imbalances: When cortisol levels stay high for too long, your reproductive and thyroid hormones take a hit. This is why you experience issues like irregular cycles, mood swings, fatigue, or worsened PMS or menopause symptoms.
3. Insulin Resistance and Belly Fat: Cortisol also increases your blood sugar and causes insulin to go up. When insulin is constantly elevated, your cells stop responding to it properly which leads to insulin resistance. This makes it easier for your body to store fat—especially in the belly region. And belly fat isn’t just frustrating, it’s also linked to increased inflammation and more health risks.
4. Fatty Liver: High insulin and cortisol levels can lead to fat building up in the liver leading to fatty liver or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Over time, this prevents the liver from detoxifying the blood, breaking down hormones, creating proteins, and regulating hormones which makes the cycle of stress and inflammation even worse.
What Can I Do?
So, what’s the solution? The key is to find balance. You don’t need to starve yourself or work out until you’re completely drained. Instead, focus on giving your body what it needs today and supporting your adrenals in a healthy, supportive way.
Start by eating enough nutrient-dense, whole foods for your energy needs today. Healthy fats like avocados, seeds, and nuts, clean proteins from legumes, seeds and dark leafy greens, and low glycemic, rainbow-colored vegetables are great for keeping blood sugar stable and reducing cravings.
Exercise, of course, is important, but if you’re already stressed, focus on gentle movements like walking, yoga, or Pilates. These help to reduce cortisol levels while still promoting overall health. Listen to your body—if you’re feeling fatigued, it’s okay to take a rest day.
I recently started learning Qi Gong, and I LOVE it! It’s an ancient form of movement that combines gentle, flowing motions with mindful breathing, designed to balance your energy and reduce stress. I not only practice it every day, but I also hope to teach it in our new membership group soon! It’s a wonderful way to calm the mind, strengthen the body, and support overall well-being.
Stress management is also essential. What have you done lately for stress management? How often do you pause and check in with yourself during the day to make sure you’re not staying stressed all day? Simple tweaks and 5 minute rests can make a huge difference.
Adding in meditation, deep breathing, or even just spending a few minutes outside can help lower cortisol and give your adrenal glands a much-needed break. Sometimes, it’s really small things—like stepping away for a quick breather or doing something you genuinely enjoy—that help keep stress in check and prevent burnout. Have you tried Laughter Yoga? Jennifer Swank teaches it for FREE every Monday through Friday.
And if you need a little extra support, consider adaptogens, herbs like eleuthero, cordyceps, ashwagandha, or rhodiola, which can help balance stress hormones and support adrenal function.(With your healthcare provider’s assistance, of course). Remember there is NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL, especially when we’re talking about health.
My Thoughts?
The “eat less, exercise more” advice isn’t just outdated—it’s harmful for many people, especially when adrenal stress, hormonal imbalances, and metabolic issues are in the picture. And we haven’t even addressed the mental effects!
Pushing your body too hard without the proper nutrients or rest can lead to a series of problems, from increased belly fat to insulin resistance and even liver dysfunction. Instead of working harder and following extreme diets or workout plans, find a balanced, sustainable plan that feels right and will lead to better health in the long run.
What Can YOU Do?
If you’re ready to say goodbye to stress and burnout and start supporting your body in a holistic, balanced way, join the waiting list for The Jen Twins’ new membership group. Together, we’ll Laugh, Grow, and Glow through weekly events based around a unique monthly theme. You’ll enjoy a variety of classes like the Monthly Health Masterclass, Food As Medicine Class and Food Demo, Herbal Medicine-making workshops, and Loads of Recipes! Plus, experience the joy of Special Laughter Yoga Sessions, Energy Healing Classes, and Emotional Healing Classes. Be the first to learn more and take the first step toward a healthier, happier you!
Wholistic Jen 
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